Armored vehicle.



E. FRANKLIN.

ARMORED vsmcua.

. 918. 1,283,405. Patented Oct. 29, 1918. SHEETS $5221 a.

E. FRANKLIN.

I 19] 8. 1,283,405. Patented Oct-.29, 1918.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2- 7/# M a r r z ama/wboz E. FRANKLIN. ARMORED VEHICLE. APPLICATION FILED FEB- 7, l9 l8 Patented Oct. 29, 1918.

ELTON FRANKLIN, OF JEFFERSOIF CITY, MISSOURI.

ARMORED VEHICLE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented oct. 29, 1918.

Application filed'February 7, 1918. Serial No. 215,812.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ELTON FRANKLIN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Jefferson City, in the county of Cole and State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Armored Vehicles, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in armored vehicles, and the primary object of the invention is to provide a movable car, that is armored, and which carries a number of guns so that the vehicle is adaptedto attack an enemy in position, with the gun crew of the vehicle fully protected.

'Another object of the invention is to provide an armored vehicle of this character, which is provided with apeculia-rly shaped protective body portion, which contains a plurality of guns projecting through ports in the sides thereof, and said body is mounted upon a supporting frame, which has forward and rear trucks, the wholevehicle being itself propelled, so that it maybe advanced rapidly, and the peculiar shape of the armored body affording a maximum protection for the crew contained therein.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device of this character which is provided at opposite ends thereof with wire cutters,so that thevehicle may lead an advance through barbed wire entanglements as the force of the vehicle behind the wire cutter will sever the entanglements, and permit the infantry to pass therethrough .with little trouble. This typeof vehicle is steered at either end, so that it maybe easily propelled in either direction. The vehicle is preferably drivenby a gasolene engine, and the tank is disposed longitudinally within the bodyportion,

Another object'of the invention is to pro vide a device of this character which is easily and simply constructed, inexpensive to manufacture, and one which Wlll be very" efficient in operation.

With these and numerous other objects in view, my invention consists in the novel features of construction, combination, and arrangement of parts, which will be herein referred to and more particularly pointed out in the specification and claims.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fi re 1 is a side elevation of the armored vehic e,

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the same,

Fig. 3 is a plan View of the supporting frame with the body removed, and

Fig. 4 is a horizontallongitudinal section through the upper portion of the body.

In describing my invention, I shall refer to the drawings in which similar reference characters designate corresponding parts,

throughout the several views.

1 My new and improved armored vehicle, comprises ametallic body portion 1, which is formed substantially cigar shaped, having an enlarged center portion, and converging opposite ends. The opposite sides of the body 1, are provided with a plurality of gun ports 2 that extend longitudinally along the same, througli'which the guns 3 are adapted to project. At one end of the body 1 is a hinged door 41, which permits access and egress from the interior of the body. The body 1 is formed of metal or other plate, that is of sufiicient thickness to stand the ordi nary gun fire, to which armored vehicles of this character are subjected, and this armor, is not heavy enough to materially effect the movability of the completed vehicle.

The body 1 is mounted upon a supporting frame designated broadly by the numeral 5, which is formed of a pair of channel memhere 6 and 7, which have connected main central portions 8, and outwardly-extending end portions 9. The extremities of the channel members 6 and 7 are connected and se curely mounted thereon adjacent the extreme points of the same, are supplemental supporting brackets 10 at opposite ends of the frame, which l1ave=their upper portions secured to the body 1 adjacent the extremities thereof. This type of supplemental support, is clearly shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings.

The body is primarily supported on the frame 5, at the center portion thereof as clearly shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings and disposed within the body 1, at said point, is the propelling means, the type illustrated in the accompanying drawings comprising a gas engine 11 of the conventional type, which is provided with a fuel tank 12 extending longitudinally within the body. This fuel tank forms a raised portion, that likewise forms a seat for the members of the gun crew and operators that are stationed within the vehicle.

Mounted beneath the enlarged portions 9 at the opposite ends of the channel bars 6 and 7 of the supporting frame, are front and rear, trucks and 14, carry axles '1? upon which are mounted wheels 17; Se-

' curved around theend of the body, of the vehicle, while. the portion extending below, the frame 5, extends forwardly 13098. point curing mechanism" 18 of the conventional type, is connected with the'axles andwheel s, and is operable by steering wheels 19Idi'sposed Within the body 1 adjacent opposite ends thereof; This permits the vehicle to be steered from either; end thereofbaccord; ingly to the'direction in which ittravels.

The trucks, are provided with the usual type of springs 20, whiclr overcometo a 'large extent, the excessive jar incident to the operation of. the vehicle-over very rough round.

'At' the opposite ends of the vehicle,-.I provide wire cutters 21, Which are secured to the brackets 10 as clearly shown at 22,

intermediate the ends offs/aid .wireucutters by a projecting portion andalso secured to the extremities of the frame .5 as clearl" shown at 23. The wire .cutters'21d project upwardlyi'from; theconnetztio-n 22, and are adjacent thesground'ywhereat its lower extremity it is provided'with a pair of diverging cutters 2d the purpose of which is ob-' vious. These wire cutters are used for cutting a passage through barbed wire entan glements, when the armored vehicle is used to'lead an infantry attack. V 1

This type of armoredvehicle forms a very efficient device of thischaracter which affords the. maximum protection for; the crew (when :operatinglthe same in'battle.

' The. p'eculiarshape of the protective body,

affords the best'prot'ection possible forthe vehicle proper, and the guns mounted thereon permit an intense offensive tobe, carried on during the operation of the vehlcle. V

' The guns have a limited ,movement through the ports 2 in the sides of the vehicle body,

so as to increase their range. Theconstruc tion'for supporting the body, is reducedto a minimum, and the frame 5 and trucks depending therefrom form a very efiicient supporting means'for this type of 'vehicle.

The engine is inclosed within the body '1, as 5 are the steering wheels, whereby the vehicle is guided. The long tank that is disposed 'c Gopies. of this patentmay be? obtainedffor 1 v1. In a vehicle of 7 frame having tapered ends and its intermee cllate. portlon .constrlct'ed, a body comprising I centrally within" the" m anes "tile vehlcle to carry a large amount of fuel, as

"well as affording firI'BStz-IOI' the crew therein. Attention is particularly directed to the wire cutting means employed at the oppositeends of the vehicle, that permits the same to advance under certain adversej'coriiQns-Q From the above description aken in connection with the accompanyingdrawin'gs, it is thought that c a, clear and, comprehensive understanding,ofjfthe construction, operation, and advantages ,of my invention may be vhad, and, while I have s'hown and described the; device aslembodyin'g, a specific structure,I desire that i'tbe understood that a 'do-n depa rom t esp i -and s p of the ,invent-ion as claimed;v

lie na de ates a shell having tapered ends mounted yon said frame, wheels; mounted" 'on the frame, a prime mover in the body connected to, cer tain of. the wheels, andwirelcuttingmeans fixedly mountedon the pposite ends of the frame projecting beyond the adjacent side portions of the body, 7 w; 2. In a vehicle of the character described, aframe'having tapered ends audits intermediate portion-'constricted,;,a; body comprising a shell hayingtapered ends mount;

ed on said frame, V'wheelsmounted on the frame, a prime mover; in the body connected to 'certain of the wheels, substantially V- shaped horizontally disposed; wire cutting elements fixedly secured tojthe oppositeends of the frame randextendingbeyond the adjacentside iportions of Said-body, and yer- ,tically disposed curved; wire cutting elements, secured tothe frame; and extending uch changes may be made in said structure upwardly into proximity to portions of said body, v

;In testimony whereof, I affix-my signature heretohj V- 1v ELTGN I? aim n.

five each, addressing the (lomniissioner or Zla tents,

. p Washington, 1). c3

, j 70' a ing f lygz e cribed: my invention, 1 :What 1"claim"1Sl eir anddesireto secure by 'Letters Patent, is: 

